Academic English

What this page covers

This page is about English for academic purposes. Most of what is listed is about writing. You will find mind maps on the descriptive essay, the argumentative essay, body paragraphs, paraphrasing and hedging. You will also find a large set of vocabulary flashcards, many of them built around the Academic Word List.

Where to start

Begin with the structure of an essay. The note Essay Outline explains how an outline keeps your points organized, and the mind map The Essay covers the writing process and transition signals between paragraphs. Then look at Descriptive essay for the steps and the types of linkers.

1. Read the outline note and the essay mind map.
2. Move on to argument with The 3 Approaches to Argument, which sets out the Classical, Toulmin and Rogerian approaches.
3. Add the slide set Problem-Solution Essay to see how to keep your reader in mind.
4. Finish with vocabulary and verbs.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a mind map first, then test yourself. The quiz Nominalisation asks you to spot which sentence contains a nominalised expression. Essential Vocabulary Part 2 matches definitions to terms such as persuasive techniques. If a question trips you up, go back to the matching map and read that branch again. Then try the quiz a second time.

Exam preparation

Some resources mention TOEFL and IELTS. The note IELTS Writing lists phrases for linking and concluding an argument, and the quiz IELTS VERBS QUIZ works on verbs. The note Patrón retórico collects cause and effect words such as consequently and therefore.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the English language subject, in the strand English for Specific Purposes and Exams. It suits learners who already read and write English and now want the style that universities and exams expect.

Choose one map today, then try a quiz on the same topic and see what you remember.